Key facts
| Council area | Causeway Coast and Glens |
| Population | 24,483 (Coleraine, usual residents on Census Day 2021 (NISRA)) |
| Network operator | NIE Networks |
| Main employment areas | Wattstown Business Park; Atlantic Link Enterprise Campus; Loughanhill Estate |
| Indicative yield | About 877 kWh per kWp a year (south facing, 30 degrees) |
| Nation support page | Grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland |
Where businesses are in Coleraine
- Wattstown Business Park: Invest NI owned industrial park on New Bridge Road, with a 42.5 acre site available to Invest NI client companies. Maine Surface Finishing is based there.
- Atlantic Link Enterprise Campus: A 20 acre site within a 40 acre designation beside Ulster University's Coleraine campus, launched in 2017 as Northern Ireland's first Enterprise Zone. Its first anchor tenant was the data centre company 5NINES.
- Loughanhill Estate: Industrial area on the north eastern side of Coleraine's ring road at the Bushmills Roundabout, with Gateside Business Park beside it.
Large employers and sectors with sites here include:
- Higher education (Ulster University): The university's Coleraine campus opened in 1968 as the New University of Ulster and became a major employer in the town.
- Manufacturing (Maine Surface Finishing): In 2020 the powder coating and fabrication firm announced an expansion at Wattstown Business Park supporting 155 jobs.
Large, simple roofs on distribution sheds and modern industrial units are usually the quickest and cheapest to fit. Older mill, factory and workshop buildings can work well too, but often need a structural survey first, and roofs from before 2000 may contain asbestos cement: see asbestos roofs.
Grid connection
Coleraine is served by NIE Networks, which runs the network across Northern Ireland. Systems connect under the G98/NI and G99/NI process, and there is no Smart Export Guarantee in Northern Ireland, so sizing the system to the power you use on site matters even more. See G99 and DNO applications.
Planning in Coleraine
Planning in Coleraine is decided by Causeway Coast and Glens council. Rooftop solar on many non-domestic buildings can go ahead without an application within the Northern Ireland limits; listed buildings need consent.
Points that come up locally:
- Coleraine is not one of the council's five conservation areas (Cushendall, Cushendun, Ballycastle, Bushmills and Ballymoney), so conservation area controls do not apply in the town.
- Listed buildings still need consent: Coleraine Town Hall on The Diamond is Grade B1 listed.
Our guides on listed buildings and conservation areas explain what these mean for a solar project.
What a business roof in Coleraine could generate
Modelled with PVGIS for the town centre, a south-facing roof at 30 degrees produces about 877 kWh per kWp a year.
| Item | Illustrative figure |
|---|---|
| System | 100 kWp, south facing at 30 degrees |
| Installed cost | £900 per kWp, so £90,000 excluding VAT |
| Generation | About 87,700 kWh a year |
| Used on site | 70% at 24p = £14,734 saved |
| Exported | 30% at 5p = £1,316 earned |
| Total a year | About £16,049 |
| Simple payback | About 5.6 years before tax relief |
Illustrative, not a quote: the same sums as our commercial solar calculator. A company paying corporation tax can usually shorten the payback with capital allowances.
Funding and support
- NISEP Commercial Energy Saving Scheme (2026/27): A Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme grant of 20% for commercial and non-domestic properties anywhere in Northern Ireland, with the applicant paying 80%. Measures include solar PV (grant capped at £30,000), boiler replacement, intelligent heating controls and lighting. Applications go to Power NI. The list of schemes covers April 2026 to March 2027. Check the scheme's own page for eligibility and closing dates.
National reliefs apply too: see grants and reliefs in Northern Ireland.
Solar across Causeway Coast and Glens
At the end of 2025, Causeway Coast and Glens had 3,089 solar PV installations with 75.6 MW of capacity, up 30% since 2020, according to government figures. The Causeway Coast and Glens page has the full local figures and how they compare.
Nearby towns
- Ballymoney, about 7 miles away
- Limavady, about 12 miles away
- Ballymena, about 24 miles away
- Magherafelt, about 26 miles away
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org: Coleraine
- commercialpropertyfinder.nibusinessinfo.co.uk: wattstown business park new bridge road coleraine
- economy-ni.gov.uk: dodds announces 155 jobs boost coleraine
- causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk: official launch of atlantic link enterprise campus northern
- gov.uk: enhanced capital allowances in enterprise zones
- commercialpropertyfinder.nibusinessinfo.co.uk: 6a gateside business park gateside road coleraine
- nienetworks.co.uk
- causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk: conservation areas
- thewrennreport.co.uk: town hall the diamond coleraine co londonderry bt52
- uregni.gov.uk: NISEP List of Schemes 2026 27 updated
- investni.com: energy efficiency capital grant
- Yield: PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), SARAH3 data, 14% system losses, for the town centre, modelled 4 November 2026.
- Council area figures: DESNZ, renewable electricity by local authority 2014 to 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the electricity network operator in Coleraine?
NIE Networks. Most commercial solar systems need its G99 approval before they are switched on. The operator follows the postcode, so confirm yours with the Energy Networks Association postcode tool.
How much would a 100 kWp solar system generate in Coleraine?
About 87,700 kWh a year for a south-facing roof at 30 degrees, modelled with PVGIS for the town centre. At 70% used on site at 24p and the rest exported at 5p, that is worth about £16,049 a year. Your own roof, orientation and use will change this.
Can a business in Coleraine get a free solar survey?
Yes. Answer six short questions and we match the site with one MCS certified installer, who surveys it on site or by video call. It is free, with no obligation. Get a free survey.
Related pages
- Causeway Coast and Glens3,089 installations, 75.6 MW of solar and about 859 kWh per kWp a year for a south-facing roof.
- Northern IrelandNIE Networks and the G98/NI and G99/NI process, no Smart Export Guarantee, council-led planning, and the agri-food and manufacturing buildings that suit solar.
- Commercial solar calculatorEstimate commercial solar savings and payback, with the generation, price and cost assumptions shown and sourced, and the limits of a simple estimate explained.
- Northern IrelandCurrent solar support in Northern Ireland for businesses, community groups, public bodies and farms, plus export, rates, planning and official contacts.
- Planning permissionPermitted development for commercial rooftop solar and car park canopies in England, prior approval, heritage limits, ground-mounted schemes and the other UK nations.